Before I talk about how to stop sugar cravings, let me talk just a bit about sugar.

Meanwhile, let me ask you a question. Does sugar prolong the life of cut flowers? To answer this question, I did a few unscientific tests. I thought it was just another urban myth, but to my surprise, the answer seems to be 'yes' - for some reason, a few teaspoons of sugar seem to prolong the life of cut flowers by a few days. I was later told that adding too much sugar has an opposite affect on cut flowers - they die earlier.

So how about us humans? Does sugar intake have such effects on people? You must be asking yourself what this has to do with 'best way to stop sugar cravings'. Hiding in your foods in many forms and names sugar proves to be quite tricky. Sure, it is possible to use techniques to better control sugar cravings, but what difference does it make if we do not know sugar exists in a given food?

The estimates on how much sugar we consume vary widely. For example, some say that the typical American eats 74 pounds of sugar per year. This amounts to a staggering 23 tablespoons of sugar each day! Others say that the average American eats a whopping 150 pounds of sugar each year. Although there is a huge difference between these estimates, both amounts are a great dealer higher than what we should be eating, as the human body only needs about 2 teaspoons of sugar a day. It's not surprising at all that the numbers of overweight and even obese people are at such high levels in the U.S. It's extremely difficult for the average person to remember all of the names for sugar: Cane juice, caramel, corn syrup, dextran, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, mannitol, molasses, raw sugar, refiners syrup, sorbitol, sorghum syrup, sucrose, and yellow sugar are all just some of the many names used for sugar.

According to Taste for Life magazine, knowing how to stop sugar cravings comes down to these quick tips. Don't Add Sugar to cereal or drinks. If you don't enjoy unsweetened foods, add a touch of the sweet herb Stevia. Avoid Processed Carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, and white rice), which are quickly converted to blood sugar, disrupting the body's metabolic balance and fat-control systems. Eat Whole Foods.

Fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains contain some naturally occurring sugars, but they also offer dietary fiber and important nutrients to help balance blood sugar. The More Natural, The Better. Choose an orange, rather than orange juice. Not only will you get less sugar, but you'll also benefit from more nutrients. Dilute Natural Sweets, like juice, with pure water.

Granola lovers can add nuts and whole grain unsweetened cereal to limit sugar consumption. Fat-free labels are often deceptive. Many of these foods actually add to weight and health issues. Not indicated on the labels is the fact that these products often contain twice the sugar than the "regular" version of the same product.